Intel’s Compute Stick idea is slowly catching on, and Lenovo is hopping on that bandwagon with the introduction of the Lenovo ideacentre Stick 300. It is similar in build and design to the compute stick, but has one important quality that might make it more attractive to consumers: it is cheaper.

The internals of the ideacentre Stick 300 are essentially the same as the Compute Stick. It has the same Intel Atom Z3735F processor, 2GB RAM, and 32GB of eMMC memory. It also has the same USB and microSD card readers mounted on the sides, along with a micro-USB 2.0 port.

What is unclear is whether Lenovo’s version of the stick computer requires its own external power source like the Compute Stick. Intel made it clear that the HDMI port would be unable to provide the necessary power to run the whole system, but Lenovo’s press release and information does not make this clear. However, it can be presumed that the micro-USB port on the ideacentre Stick 300 serves the same purpose as the one on the Intel Compute Stick.

One additional feature Lenovo mounted on the ideacentre Stick 300 is the presence of a 0.5L speaker. Allowing the ideacentre Stick to provide its own sounds, albeit those are most likely limited to system noises.

The Lenovo ideacentre Stick 300 is set to appear in July 2015, although that is a global date and we do not have a specific time frame for Malaysia. It is set to retail for US$129 (about RM482), which puts it at a whole US$20 less than the Intel Compute Stick.